Fiat Tipo Cross 2021, achievements

Everybody needs a friend like me Ace Levy (Starship Troopers, 1997)

It’s a dirty, smelly, dimly lit joint. The stage is just a platform of boards that creak every time I move on it, a mass of wood that seems to come from the shipwreck of a galley that has been impregnated by the rum it was transporting in its cellars. This is demonstrated by the effort I have to make to make my soles come off and the smell of rancid alcohol that it gives off. There even appear to be traces of the grappling hooks. From this altar of decadence I can barely glimpse fragments of faces furtively illuminated by the rickety lamps that preside over each table. Defeated looks, time-worn skins crowned by tufts of elusive hair, bodies left on chairs, both have seen better days. Like the galley. Most of them hunched over their glasses paying more attention to their drinks than to the conversation with their table companions, the few who enjoy them, but decidedly more attention to what happens on stage. And what happens, rather what is going to happen is me.

Those moments of murmurs of indifference and sounds of alcohol containers lazily colliding give me the opportunity to carry out my ritual every Wednesday night, my slow walk accompanied by the groans of the wood sipping my glass of must. Playing with the microphone. observing. There are two housewives sitting around letting out empty laughter with lying joy to show the other that all is well. But no. Three friends telling each other anecdotes that they already know ad nauseam, releasing supposedly friendly punches on the shoulder to underline the points of supposed interest. An elderly couple with an out-of-place elegance slowly sipping cocktails under an umbrella. A worker or mechanic or carpenter still with his hat thrown back in his chair with a lost look and his hand holding the glass on the table and turning it slowly… I analyze tonight’s audience because my work depends on it. My words today are not going to be those of last week, nor those of the following. I am a comedian but more than a comedian I am an exorcist. I walk up to the microphone. “Have any of you tried to link to an ATM?”

Fiat is a car brand that has a long tradition of utility vehicles, of vehicles designed primarily to provide practical solutions to its buyers while maintaining a very competitive price. Within the range offered by Fiat, its Tipo model has been a benchmark in its category since the end of 2015 for its practical solutions as well as for its good size and habitability, adjusting the qualities to maintain a very interesting price ratio.

Within the new 2021 range, the Type has an interesting proposal in its Cross variant, a version that offers greater ground clearance in addition to certain recognizable decorative elements. We wanted to get in touch with this new restyling of this austere and already classic Italian precisely with this version. We already had the opportunity to test the previous generation both in the Lounge version and in the Station Wagon. This Cross is a version based on the five-door body.

The first impression that we get with this Fiat is that we are in front of a car higher than normal, it could be said that between a sedan and an SUV. Not only is the height difference due to the suspensions and the different profile of the tires noticeable, but the decorative bar on the roof also contributes. The Italian manufacturer remains in the strategy of competing with a car capable of competing in habitability with SUVs without the need to imitate that bodywork.

tweaks

The first aesthetic touch-up that is noticeable in this new generation of the Type is at the front, where the new grille stands out, with gray moldings, as well as LED-type headlights. The bumper also debuts a design with a more modern and less “low cost” air, increasing the perceived value of the car and moving it away from that image of a low-cost model that can be given by some external aesthetic details of the previous model.

The side is practically identical to that of the 5-door Type of the previous generation except for the lower trim in gray and the aforementioned roof bars typical of this version. Also the rims have a unique look as they are typical of the Cross type. Those seven centimeters of lift are noticeable and accentuate the impression that the Type Cross is a tall car with generously sized doors and glass surfaces.

The rear part maintains the design of the five-door Type with the wink of the lower trim in gray that gives it the off-road-inspired brushstroke. Inside, the Type is still a spacious car, with the difference that in this version it is a little easier to access thanks to the slight increase in height. The front seats are spacious and the driving position is elevated to be that of a car. The seats are also comfortable with good padding and attractive two-tone upholstery.

Interior design

Regarding the interior design, we find the same arrangement of elements and controls as in the previous generation. The choice of materials and finishes is similar to that found in the previous generation with hard plastics and rough surfaces that in any case give an impression of good resistance but also an impression of fair quality. What does change slightly is the infotainment system section and the instrumentation.

First of all, the multimedia system has been updated to the Uconnect 5 and the screen has grown to 10.25 inches in addition to increasing the speed of response and image quality. It is compatible with both Apple Car Play and Android Auto both wired and via Bluetooth. The screen is still located at the top of the dashboard, therefore the ideal position to not have to take your eyes off the road.

Regarding the instrumentation, it follows the same design of two dials on the sides with a digital screen in the center, but in this case the screen is much larger and the analog indicators have a different and more stylized design. The result is a more modern look and improved information visibility that now also displays the speedometer along with other useful driving data. An interesting detail is that we found a place to leave the mobile that has wireless charging.

space behind

In the rear, habitability has not changed with this generation and therefore there is still space for three good-sized people to travel, although as usual the one in the central square is somewhat more sacrificed. The height is one of the most outstanding dimensions with the possibility of accommodating tall people without problems. Once again, access to the interior in this Cross version is somewhat easier thanks to a slightly higher height. Occupants can access a USB charging connector.

With regard to the trunk, it continues to be another of the strong points of this model with a 440-litre capacity and shapes that make loading objects of different shapes and sizes much easier. It has a light, hooks to secure the load and a 12-volt socket, which adds versatility to the space available in the rear. Under the double bottom we can find the anti-puncture kit although a spare wheel can be requested.

At the wheel of the Type Cross, as we usually do, we look at the engine. In this case it is a small three-cylinder propeller with a displacement of 1 liter that yields 101 horses. On paper it doesn’t look like an exciting engine, especially considering the size of the car, but hopefully because the torque figure is quite high, 190Nm can be a good indicator that the engine has good elasticity.

good push

Once started, the truth is that there is not much lack of thrust. Something noisy at first, especially when cold, and with that sound that is difficult to get used to, typical of a three-cylinder. But once acclimatized, the truth is that we did not notice a lack of drive and we can start and recover without problems. It is true that in acceleration it is not too bright, even those 12.2 seconds to go from 0 to 100 seem generous to us, but in any case very adequate for normal use both in the city and on the highway.

It takes getting used to settling for five gears, but the change is precise and pleasant and we will have to resort to it often if we want to maintain a good pace of driving. Perhaps with a sixth gear the consumption would have been somewhat better on the highway, but the truth is that in normal use we have not missed it. In curves and despite the high suspensions, the Type continues to behave in a noble and smooth way, maintaining the trajectory. The good torque figure, as we have pointed out, helps to maintain a good feeling of comfort and safety.

When it comes to getting off the asphalt, it should be noted that the Type Cross is quite limited since it really only provides that higher ground clearance as off-road characteristics. The absence of all-wheel drive greatly limits what we can do in off-road terrain and we have to be very careful despite the fact that when it comes to overcoming obstacles we will have some advantage over a normal high-rise car.

Conclusions

The new Type Cross of the latest generation maintains many of the characteristics that have made it a best seller in its category. The aesthetic aspect has hardly been retouched although inside there are two interesting improvements both in the instrumentation and in the multimedia system that now allows connection to the phone with the Android Auto and Apple Car Play systems wirelessly and incorporates a wireless charger option.

The good qualities of habitability and the large trunk have been preserved while in this version “off road” aesthetic touches have been added in addition to a greater height. Although they do not give it off-road characteristics to highlight, they do add a different aesthetic and facilitate access to the car as well as offering the ability to walk on rough terrain, always being careful since we do not have four-wheel drive.